Events
Prairie Remnant in Wichita
Photo: Krista Dahlinger
KNPS Events Calendar listings accepted for native plant related events such as:
– Plant identification walks
– Educational events
– Work days
– Native plant sales
– Seed collection events
– In-person and online presentations
Click here to provide information about your event to be listed.
Events Calendar:
Kansas City, MO - Blue River Discovery Days Festival
Sponsor: Heartland Conservation Alliance
THE ULTIMATE BLUE RIVER EXTRAVAGANZA IS HERE!
ATTN all nature nerds, outdoor enthusiasts and conservation champions – a new level of supporting the Blue River is now 
unlocked . Whaaaaat?! We’re talking about Blue River Discovery Days! Join us on a quest to explore the watershed and engage in a bit of friendly competition to see what individual or team can raise the most funds in support of our Blue River Nature Guide programming. All of our Nature Guide’s activities are completely free for the community and we want to keep it that way!Cost: Free
Heartland Conservation Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and restoring natural areas in the Kansas City region. One of its major efforts is focused on the Blue River, which runs through the heart of the city. Heartland Conservation Alliance works to bring people back to the river through education, outreach, and advocacy.
Join us through the month of September for Blue River Discovery Days, a quest to explore the watershed and engage in a bit of friendly competition to see which individual or team can raise the most funds in support of our Blue River Nature Guide programming. All of our Nature Guide’s activities are free for the community and we want to keep it that way! Join us!
- 🗓️ WHEN: Fundraise and donate from September 1st – September 30th, 2023
- 💰GOAL: $25,000 in 30 days
Manhattan - From Seed to Saw - Open House
Sponsor: Kansas State University
Location: 2610 Claflin Rd. Manhattan
Identifying & Selecting Trees 9:00 AM
Tour our arboretum and learn about the best trees to plant for Kansas landscapes.
Tree Maintenance 10:00 AM
Learn about the tools and techniques for keeping trees healthy as they grow.
Historic State Office Tour 10:00 AM
Learn about the native trees that comprise the walls of the state office, along with the history of the building and the work that happens there today!
Hazard Tree Removal 11:00 AM
Trees can become dangerous in their decline. Learn about how to see the warning signs and watch a hazard tree be taken down.
Historic State Office Tour 11:00 AM
Learn about the native trees that comprise the walls of the state office, along with the history of the building and the work that happens there today!
Sawmill Demonstration 12:00 PM
Watch the process of milling trees with a live demonstration!
Cost: Free
Lawrence - Local Authors & Artists Outside: Ian Cook
Co-sponsored by Lawrence Public Library and Kansas Native Plant Society.
Date and time: October 8, 2023 – 2:00-3:30pm
Location: Riverfront Park, 1594 North 3rd Street, Lawrence
Join local author & artist Ian Cook as he shares connections of his work to outside spaces—enhancing our connections to nature, sense of place, and community. Ian will speak for approximately 20-minutes and we’ll enjoy a hike! Wear sturdy shoes and weather appropriate attire; planned route is accessible, some walking, and uneven surfaces are possible. If there is inclement weather, we will reschedule.
• Ian will lead a walk from the Riverfront Park onto the Levee, east to the I-70 bridge underpass, and view the vivid graffiti that resonates with him and has become part of a creative journey of self-discovery. He’ll talk about his creative processes, mental health practices, and recent work in the psychedelic-assisted therapy space, then return to the park for a writing session where folks can read/express afterward. Ian will bring writing prompts.
• Consider bringing a personal journal, writing utensil, drinking water, and a blanket or camp chair.
Find out more about poet, creative writing instructor, artist, musician, educator, and mental health advocate Ian Cook: https://linktr.ee/i.p.cook
Contact: Shirley Braunlich sbraunlich@lplks.org
Lawrence - Local Authors & Artists Outside: George Frazier (author) and Karen Matheis (artist)
Co-sponsored by Lawrence Public Library and Kansas Native Plant Society.
Date and time: November 4, 2023 10:00-11:30 AM
Location: Oread Hotel, 1200 Oread Ave., Lawrence
Join local author George Frazier & local artist Karen Matheis as they share connections of their work to outside spaces—enhancing our connections to nature, sense of place, and community. Each presenter will speak for approximately 20-minutes and we’ll enjoy a hike! Wear sturdy shoes and weather appropriate attire; planned route is accessible, some walking, and uneven surfaces are possible. If there is inclement weather, we will reschedule.
Expect a vigorous discussion and easy hike from the top of the Oread Hotel to the banks of the Kaw—the highest and lowest points in Lawrence. After an opening rooftop discussion with panoramic views of the Kaw Valley, the presenters will lead a landscape hike with stops in historic Lawrence neighborhoods and the Kaw River bank. We’ll look for remnants of the ravine that ran through Old West Lawrence, learn how to identify fish crows (Corvus ossifragus) and why they’re taking Kansas by storm, and visualize the lost prairie wilderness that once sprawled east of Downtown and what might become of that landscape in future decades.
About the Presenters:
• Karen Matheis’s paintings re-interpret ideas about traditional landscapes. Her work is inspired by the flat, open spaces of the K10 corridor. https://bluegalleryonline.com/
• George Frazier is the author of The Last Wild Places of Kansas: Journeys into Hidden Landscapes (University Press of Kansas). https://kansaspress.ku.edu/
Additional Details:
• Meet on the Oread Hotel rooftop, walk to the banks of the Kaw River.
• We recommend carpooling or arranging a ride back to your car from Constant Park, 230 W 6th St.
• Street parking is available in the neighborhood around the Oread Hotel, 1200 Oread Ave.
Contact: Shirley Braunlich sbraunlich@lplks.org
Manhattan - Seed Swap
Sponsors: Manhattan Seed Swap and Flint Hills Discovery Center
Date and time: Sunday February 18, 2024
Location: Flint Hills Discovery Center
Join us for the first Manhattan Seed Swap event. Start saving seeds from your garden this summer and fall to bring and exchange with others in time for the 2024 spring planting season. Cost: Free
Link to Manhattan Seed Swap Facebook page
